


Just Above the Surface

by waveaholic



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: (it’s intentional), F/M, Second person POV?, Spoilers, confusing at first (?) sry, sry if it sucks :(, the style of writing will progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 05:47:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16130912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waveaholic/pseuds/waveaholic
Summary: It’s all loud. It’s all overwhelming. You don’t know anything except that his eyes are the most beautiful gems you will ever see.But, you begin to expand your view of the world as you are slowly but surely reintroduced to magic, botany, and yourself. And him.The palace is some mysterious, beautiful edifice looming in the distance. You clutch your head every time you think about it. What happened there? Why must he shield you from it as he does?





	Just Above the Surface

**Author's Note:**

> -based off what MC’s first memory was (canon)

  It was like being underwater. Senses dulled, thoughts muddled, and emotions quelled. When your eyes opened, all before you was crystal clear, and for miles upon miles there only existed this teal paradise. It was breathtaking (yet, unsurprisingly, you did not attempt to inhale the sparkling liquid). Beams of sunlight filtered through the water, creating a natural ombré of blues. However, you could not discern between the varying shades of cerulean very well, and the notion of where the ocean met sky escaped your mind. Your vision was blurred, you realized. But of course it was; you were underwater.

 There was something so serene about the fogginess, even though blind panic eventually bloomed inside you like a weed uprooting its harmless neighbors. But before fear bubbled to the surface, you were just peacefully floating about, drifting along with the gentle current. Thoughts were null, meaning all was well. You were just along for the ride. 

   But your mind just _had_ to stray down the path of limitless cognitive function. Suddenly, you weren’t suspended in still waters - you were tossed into a chaotic whirlpool, with thoughts and sensations bombarding your brain. Your lungs were on fire, each cell screaming for oxygen with a burning insistence. Limbs were now tangled in the tugging riptide; jets of an icy current numbed extremities. Dizziness soon overcame you, and nausea quickly followed. How entirely strange all this felt; you did not appear to enjoy it.

 The panic hiding in the corner of your mind was now bubbling to the surface, literally bringing you with it. You were propelled upward by an unknown force, and adrenaline spiked into your bloodstream to induce an increased heart rate. Bursting bubbles surrounded you, obscuring your already limited vision. In a frenzied rush of popping and screaming, you were removed from the whirlpool in a single fluid motion. 

  And then everything was clear once more. 

 

— 

 

   Sunlight cascades through sheer curtains, blanketing the shop with a veiled light. Its golden rays liven the dark mahoganies and breathe life into the wilting herbs on the windowsills. The household stirs; faint sounds of slithering can be heard, along with the huffing and puffing of a creature ready to prepare a steaming cup of lapsang souchong. The usual morning routine has been set into motion, for the sun has risen. Yet, something is different. There is an unusual presence within the house, a curious presence that warrants the immediate attention of a rather curious snake. 

   She slithers up the dark staircase, ascending at a comfortable rate. This particular set of stairs escapes the harsh light of day, and thus it is not a preferable dwelling area for this cold-blooded creature. She prefers the upper floor, as it has windows to retrieve sunlight. A warm blend of golden peaches, cashmere, and vanilla wafts through the stairway, prompting her to flick her tongue in delight. As she slithers along, hesitation comes over her, since the temperature change is more drastic than usual. Curiosity again grips her. Why is the upper level radiating warmth?

 There's something else, too. Something different. Her familiar’s presence is all around her - the air has been blessed with spells, the ground granted qualities only magic could provide, and that intoxicating scent from earlier now floods her senses. The entire room is simply teeming with magic, and this influences the surrounding life. Potted plants lean towards the source, bending every which way in an effort to get a taste of concentrated magic; the snake has been entranced (as well as mystified), dying to know what the cause of this is; even outsiders, like the birds that chirp on the roof or the frogs that croak in the gutters, have been drawn to the windows to peer through the curtains. 

   The air appears to glitter; it's a subtle bronze shimmer that matches his skin flawlessly. The snake has seen numerous superfluous stunts her familiar has performed, yet this nevertheless stuns her. This isn’t the most flashy trick she has seen, yet it outshines all the rest. Raw emotion is palpable in the magic, one frantic and desperate in nature. But another feeling drowns out the rest. 

   It is warmth. The type that lulls you to sleep in mere instants; the comforting type of heat that wraps you entirely. The snake begins to feel drowsy, but many burning questions are tempting her to investigate. And so she does.

   She slowly and carefully approaches her familiar. Since they have bonded, she has learned to not disturb him too much while his emotions run high; not a few months ago, he was prone to mentally lashing out at her. But, she knows this emotion to be entirely separate from the darker ones that had recently clouded his mind. There is a gentleness to his magic, and also a hesitance that is uncharacteristic of his character. Or, rather, a reluctance. 

  Past the dazzling shimmer, past the borderline hypnotic atmosphere, past the heavy perfume, lies a still form braced against the chest of her familiar. It’s you. 

 A voice murmurs, from above, and its a timbre you innately recognize as one of your own. Wide eyes meet twinkling amethysts. Lips curve upwards, reassuringly.

 You can’t help but stare. The scleras of your eyes are completely visible, but you soon blink rapidly to disperse the incoming light. The set of orbs facing you are mysterious, entrancing, but also kind. You do not comprehend your emotions, or come to any of these conclusions, but nevertheless you trust the owner of those beautiful eyes.

The owner of those dazzling lilac irises is cradling you with his arms, continuing to produce soft melodies. You trust him, and that’s all you know. 

 The snake’s heart is heavy; heavier than theirs, heavier than his. She knows. And so, she exits the scene, not wanting to reveal this to him, not wanting his heart to ache as hers does. It will come, soon enough, too soon, mere moments away, and there is no point to witness his pain when she will already feel it through their linkage.

   He, with his steady arms and fragile heart, murmurs soft words. They rest on deaf ears; you stare blankly into space. His intonation fluctuates in his speaking, now lifting upward at the end of each thought. And he waits. He waits, but you do not know what he waits for. 

  He blinks. And suddenly the ocean has returned.

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! :)) Thanks for reading my first chapter! I hope this isn’t too hard to follow...ah I feel like I’m too abstract at times. 
> 
> also, I intentionally didn’t mention names bc, you know, memory loss = who are these people? I just tried to play into what the MC is feeling. Hope that didn’t feel weird/confusing to read.
> 
> And sorry it’s so short :(


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